chapter 49
He didn’t stop until they reached the quieter side of the campus, near an empty hall where barely anyone came during lectures. The corridor was silent except for their uneven breathing.
Vipul finally set her down on her feet.
The moment her shoes touched the ground, Tara pushed him hard on the chest.
“Dimag hai ki nahi? Pagal ho kya tum?!” she snapped, fixing her hair that had turned into a complete mess.
“Log kya sochenge? You literally kidnapped me!”
He didn’t reply.Which annoyed her more.
“Say something!”
But Vipul wasn’t even looking at her face.
His eyes were lowered, jaw tight, fists clenched like he was controlling himself.
“Tumhari…” he started, then stopped awkwardly.She frowned.
“Meri kya?”
He swallowed, clearly uncomfortable saying it.
Then finally muttered, “Your skirt… it’s wet. ”She froze.
His voice softened, almost hesitant. “Check… if you’re in… periods.”
For a second, her brain stopped working.
Then realization hit.
Her hands slowly moved behind her… and the color drained from her face.
“Oh no…” she whispered.
Embarrassment rushed through her body.
“Shit… shit… shit…” she muttered, looking down, completely mortified. “This is so embarrassing…” She didn’t even dare look at him.
She stood there with her head lowered, fingers tightly clutching the edge of Vipul’s blazer tied around her waist, wishing the ground would just swallow her.
Vipul noticed the sudden silence. Slowly, he stepped closer and gently held her chin, lifting her face so she would look at him.
His touch wasn’t rough or commanding like before, it was surprisingly soft.
“You don’t have to be embarrassed,” he said calmly, his voice lower than usual. “It’s normal. Stop overthinking.”
She just stared at him, surprised by the gentleness in his eyes. This wasn’t the strict, always-annoyed Vipul she knew. This was someone else… someone warm. When he asked if she had pads and she shook her head no, he simply nodded like it wasn’t a big deal at all.
“Alright. Stay here. I’ll get it for you,” he said.
She blinked. “You’ll… go?”
“Haan. Obviously.”
As if it was the most natural thing in the world.
He looked at her for a few seconds more, as though making sure she was okay, then turned and walked away down the corridor.
Tara remained standing there, frozen, watching his retreating figure. Her heart felt strangely light. The same man she called cold, serious, and irritating every day had just made her feel safer than anyone else ever had.
After a few minutes that somehow felt like hours, Tara heard hurried footsteps echoing in the empty corridor.
“Tara,” Vipul called out.
She quickly wiped her face and turned. He was walking toward her, slightly out of breath, hair messy like he had been running around the entire campus. In his hands were two small bags.
He stopped in front of her and awkwardly extended them. “Here… I got some pads… and a skirt. Go and change.”
For a second she just stared at the bags, then at him, then back at the bags again. “Skirt…?” she repeated softly.
“Haan,” he muttered, avoiding her eyes. “ change your skirt it's dirty also, I didn’t know your size, so I guessed. Agar loose hua toh adjust kar lena. And… there’s a hoodie too. Just in case.”
She blinked.
This man really went shopping for her.
Her.
Vipul, who couldn’t even say one soft sentence properly, who fought with her every five minutes, had actually gone out, searched stores, probably argued with the shopkeeper, and bought all this… just for her.
“You… bought all this for me?” she asked quietly.
He clicked his tongue, pretending to be annoyed. “Don’t think too much. Emergency tha. And I can’t let boss ki saali roam around like this. My responsibility, samjhi?”
But his ears had turned slightly red.
Tara noticed. A small smile tugged at her lips.
“Thank you…” she said, almost whispering.
He stiffened. “Jaldi jao. Stop staring and go change. Washroom udhar hai.”
She nodded and took the bags from him, their fingers brushing slightly. Both of them froze for a split second.
Then she quickly walked away.
Vipul exhaled heavily and ran a hand through his hair. “Yeh ladki bhi na” he muttered, but instead of irritation, there was worry in his eyes.
He stood outside the hallway like a guard, arms crossed, making sure no one came near.
A few minutes later, the soft sound of footsteps echoed in the corridor.
Vipul, who had been leaning against the wall with his arms crossed like a strict bodyguard, immediately straightened.
Tara slowly walked out.
She was wearing the new skirt and the oversized hoodie he had bought. The sleeves covered half her hands, making her look smaller… softer. His blazer was neatly folded in her arms.
For a second, Vipul just stared.
And stared.Why does she look… cute in everything?
He quickly looked away before she could notice.
“Everything seems okay,” he said in his usual cold tone, clearing his throat. “You should go.”
He turned slightly, already ready to leave like nothing happened, like he hadn’t just run around half the city buying emergency stuff for her.
“Vipul…”Her voice stopped him.
He paused but didn’t turn fully. “Hmm?”
“Thank you,” she said softly. “I’ll clean your blazer and return it.”
He glanced back at her.
For the first time, Tara looked a little shy.
Something inside his chest tightened.
“It’s fine,” he muttered. “Keep it for today. Don’t argue.”
She nodded.
There was an awkward silence between them, the kind that wasn’t uncomfortable… just heavy with unspoken things.
Then he added quietly, almost under his breath. “Take… care.”
Before she could react, he turned and started walking away.
Tara watched his back disappearing down the corridor, her heart beating strangely fast.
“Pagal… khadoos… but… acha bhi hai,” she murmured to herself, hugging his blazer a little closer to her chest.
Time skip.
The ride back to the mansion felt strangely quiet. For the first time, there were no silly fights, no sarcastic comments, no “khadoos” or “annoying man” thrown at each other every five minutes.
Vipul just drove with both hands on the steering wheel, eyes fixed on the road, his jaw tight as always. Tara sat beside him, staring out of the window, watching the streetlights pass one by one.
But her mind wasn’t outside at all. It kept replaying everything from earlierhis sudden appearance, the way he wrapped his blazer around her without saying anything, the way his voice softened when he told her not to be embarrassed.
Why was he so different today? Why did he care so much? She shook her head, silently scolding herself. “Pagal ho kya Tara… he’s still that same rude, serious guy,” she thought, but her heart didn’t listen.
When they reached the mansion, both stepped out without speaking. He didn’t tease her. She didn’t argue.
Later in her room, Tara washed his blazer carefully, almost gently, as if it was something precious. She dried it properly, folded it neatly, and placed it on her bed.
Her fingers brushed over the fabric for a moment longer than necessary. It still carried his faint cologne. A small, silly smile crept onto her lips. “Why am I acting like this…” she muttered, hiding her face in her hands.
Just then the door opened.
“Tara…” Ishni called softly as she walked in.
Tara quickly straightened. “Haan didi?”
“How was your day?” Ishni asked, sitting beside her.
“Good,” Tara replied a little too fast.
Ishni noticed.
Her eyes shifted to the neatly folded blazer on the bed. She picked it up and examined it. “Who’s… this?”
Tara froze. Her brain stopped working.
“Uh… vo… friend ka hai,” she said, avoiding eye contact.
Ishni raised one eyebrow slowly. “Friend?”
“Haan… friend!” Tara nodded way too quickly.
Ishni smirked, clearly not convinced. “Since when do you wash, dry, fold and keep a friend’s blazer like it’s some precious treasure?”
“Didi!” Tara whined, her cheeks turning red.
“Naam kya hai uss ‘friend’ ka?” Ishni teased.
Tara unconsciously and muttered under her breath, “Khadoos…”
“What?”
“Nothing!”
But no matter how much she denied it, one name kept echoing loudly inside her heart.
Vipul.
It was around four in the morning when Tara suddenly opened her eyes. The whole room was dark and quiet, the world still half-asleep. She stared at the ceiling for a few seconds, then abruptly sat up like she had just remembered something important.
“Shit… freshers day,” she mumbled.
Without thinking twice, she grabbed her phone and dialed Vipul’s number.
The phone rang.
Once.
Twice.
Thrice.
Finally, it connected.
“Hello…” he answered in a heavy, sleepy voice, clearly half dead.
“Vipul… main,” Tara whispered.
“Kaun main…?” he replied, annoyed.
“Arey baba Tara!” she snapped.
There was complete silence for two seconds.
Then—
“What the fuck is wrong with you woman?” he growled. “Why are you calling me this early? And where did you even get my number?”
“Baap reee… kitne sawaal,” she muttered.
“Tara, I swear, I’m hanging up if you have nothing important to say—”
“Waittt!!” she almost screamed.
He pulled the phone away from his ear. “Bolo"
“I called to inform you that you don’t have to come today to pick me. Today is freshers day. come around 5 pm.”
Silence. Then his voice came, colder than ice.“You spoiled my sleep… just to inform this?”
She blinked. “Haan… toh?”
“Tara… do you know what time it is?”
“Early morning… healthy time,” she said confidently.
“It’s FOUR A.M.,” he hissed.
“So?”
“So?? Normal people SLEEP at this time!”
She rolled her eyes even though he couldn’t see. “Drama mat karo. I was just being responsible.”
“Responsible?” he scoffed. “Tumhare jaise logon ke wajah se BP ke patient bada the hai.”
“Excuse me!”
“I slept at 2:30 after finishing work and you woke me up for this nonsense?”
She paused… then said softly, “Toh… sorry?”
He narrowed his eyes. “That didn’t even sound real.”
“Okay fine. Sorryyy.”
“Still fake.”
“Vipul!!”
He sighed loudly. “Next time, text. Don’t call like the world is ending.”
“Accha baba.”
“And from next time Don’t call at 4 a.m. like some stalker.”
She gasped. “Stalker? Hello! I’m doing you a favour!”
“Worst favour of my life.”
“Hatt. Go sleep.”
“Please. For humanity’s sake, let me sleep.”
She smiled unknowingly. “Good night… I mean… good morning.”
He was about to cut the call but stopped for a second.
“…Tara.”
“Haan?”
“Don’t go alone too late. Call me when you’re leaving.”
Her heart skipped.
“Why?” she teased softly.
“Because boss will kill me if something happens,” he said quickly and hung up.
She stared at the screen.
“Liar…,” she whispered with a small smile, hugging her pillow and falling back on the bed.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Vipul threw his phone beside him.
“Pagal ladki…” he muttered.
But despite the irritation…
There was a tiny smile on his face too.
Next morning the mansion felt unusually quiet.
Rudra and Ishni had already left early for work, and since Tara had told them she would leave for college around five in the evening for freshers’ day, she was left all alone in the huge house. The silence felt strange.
She wandered from the living room to the kitchen and then back again, dragging her slippers lazily on the floor. She tried watching TV for a while but got bored within minutes. She opened the fridge, ate half a chocolate, drank water, stared outside the window, then sighed dramatically.
“Yaar… kitna boring hai,” she muttered. “Akele rehna itna bakwaas hota hai kya?”
She flopped onto the couch upside down, scrolling her phone, but even that didn’t help. After a few more minutes of doing absolutely nothing, something suddenly clicked in her head.
Her eyes widened.
“Wait… aaj freshers day hai!”
In the next second she jumped up like someone had set the house on fire and ran straight to her room.
Within minutes her entire bed was covered with clothes. Dresses, tops, skirts, jeans, even outfits she didn’t remember buying were thrown everywhere. She picked one cute pink top and held it against herself, looking into the mirror.
“Too simple,” she said, tossing it aside.
Then a black dress.
“Too much… main freshers hoon ya fashion show model?”
Next one.
“Yeh toh bilkul behenji lag raha hai.”
She groaned loudly and fell face-first onto the bed. “Didi hoti toh help karti…”
She quickly grabbed her phone and called Ishni. The phone rang and rang, but there was no answer.
Lagta hai didi busy hai…” she sighed.
Now she was officially stuck.
She sat cross-legged on the floor, staring at the pile of clothes like it was some life-or-death decision. After a moment she slowly picked a soft pastel skirt and a cute top, something simple yet pretty. She wore it and stood in front of the mirror, turning left and right.
“…hmm… thik toh lag raha hai.”
She tucked her hair behind her ear, checking herself again. Then suddenly another thought slipped into her mind.
Without even realizing, she whispered, “Vipul kya bolega…”
She froze.
“WAIT. Why am I thinking about that khadus?” she scolded herself, lightly hitting her own forehead. “Pagal ho gayi ho kya Tara! Pagal ho gayi hai!!
But still… she kept staring at herself in the mirror.
Then she bit her lip, hesitated for a few seconds, and finally grabbed her phone.
“Bas suggestion hi toh hai… nothing else,” she mumbled defensively, as if someone was judging her.
Taking a deep breath, she dialed Vipul’s number and waited, her heart beating a little faster than usual, ready to ask the most unexpected person for fashion advice.
In meeting room
Vipul was standing beside Rudra in the meeting room, tablet in one hand and a file in the other, his usual cold, professional expression fixed on his face. The conference table was filled with board members, charts projected on the screen, and everyone was discussing numbers seriously.
Rudra was explaining something sharply when suddenly—
trrr… trrr… trrr…
Vipul’s phone vibrated in his pocket.
He ignored it. A second later
trrr… trrr…
His jaw tightened.
Who the hell was calling him again and again during a meeting?
He quietly slipped the phone out, planning to cut the call, but the moment he saw the name flashing on the screen, his eye twitched.
Tara Calling…
“Of course,” he muttered under his breath.
He rejected it.
Two seconds later, it rang again.
Rudra stopped mid-sentence and slowly looked at him with a raised brow. “Pick it. Before you throw the phone and disturb my meeting.”
Vipul cleared his throat awkwardly and stepped outside the room.
The moment he answered, his voice turned flat and annoyed.
“What do you want?”
On the other side, Tara’s cheerful voice came like she had zero guilt. “What are you doing?”
He closed his eyes, already regretting picking up. “I’m not free like you, Miss Tara. I have plenty of work to do.”
“Oh hooo, attitude,” she said dramatically. “Big businessman, huh?”
“I’m in a meeting,” he said through gritted teeth. “So if this is another ‘good morning’ or ‘I’m bored’ call, I’m hanging up.”
“Arre wait!” she panicked. “It’s important!”
He leaned against the wall, tired. “You have exactly ten seconds. Speak.”
There was a small pause.
“…what should I wear?”
Silence. Vipul blinked.
“…What?”
“For freshers day!” she said quickly. “I have like five dresses and I’m confused. Skirt ya jeans? Cute ya classy? Help na!”
For a full five seconds he just stared at the wall, wondering what sins he committed in his past life.
“You called me,” he spoke slowly, dangerously calm, “during an official meeting… to ask what to wear?”
“Yes,” she said innocently. “Because you’re very serious type. Good judgement hoga.”
His jaw clenched.
“Miss Tara,” he said, voice cold, “do I look like your fashion consultant?”
“Haan thoda,” she replied casually.
He almost choked.
Inside the glass room, Rudra glanced at him suspiciously while the board members waited.
“Just pick anything decent,” Vipul said. “And don’t call me for this nonsense again.”
“Decent matlab? Color bolo na.”
“Black. Simple. Done. Bye.”
“Wait wait—”
But he had already cut the call.
He shoved the phone back into his pocket, muttering, “ she'll kill me someday "
Yet despite himself… a tiny, almost invisible smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Vipul slipped his phone back into his pocket and walked inside the meeting room, face back to his usual cold, unreadable expression. Rudra was already discussing numbers with the investors while the projector lights flickered against the glass walls.
He stood beside Rudra like always — straight posture, serious face, completely professional.
But his phone vibrated again.
ting.
He frowned.
Slowly, discreetly, he checked the screen under the table.
1 Image received – Tara
His heartbeat skipped for absolutely no reason.
“This girl…” he muttered under his breath.
He opened the picture. And the moment the image loaded , His eyes widened.